The Funny Thing about Goodbye
by reiicchi
Summary: AU: 10 years have passed and Kagami has returned to America and is a firefighter. In a messed up love affair, the two tangle. Will they be able to fix their problems or are they doomed to say goodbye? KagamixOC
1. Chapter 1

**The funny thing about Goodbye**

Summary: AU: 10 years have passed and Kagami has returned to America and is a firefighter. In a messed up love affair, the two tangle. Will they be able to fix their problems or are they doomed to say goodbye? KagamixOC

The funny thing about goodbye was that she never said it. Sure, she'd given those waves that meant goodbye or those awkward smiles that mean ta-ta, but she'd never actually uttered the words. Good bye.

Not a single time.

Because what was so good about saying bye to someone? What was so great about it anyway?

* * *

She tried to say the words—to force them out of her mouth—but they wouldn't come out. She ended up mouthing the words over and over again.

And it pissed her off.

How the fuck could she not say good bye?

Why wouldn't her voice come out and just say those two shitty words? Why? She wanted to scream, really she did. She wanted to cry. Honestly, that's all she wanted to do right now, but words eluded her. Even tears, it seemed to run away from her. But she had to do something. She had to _say_ something.

This was her dad's funeral after all.

And regardless of how much of a terrible daughter she was, she was still standing there. There she was with a select few eyeing her. There she was with the select few that matter dearly to her father.

So, instead of crying or screaming or whatever this bunch wanted her to do, she let out a strangled laugh and proceeded with the eulogy.

* * *

In the end, she couldn't say good bye. It's as if her body wouldn't let her and she regretted it. With every fiber of her being, with every inch of her body, with every breath that left her and with every frustrated thought that she kept inside.

Why couldn't she do it?

Why? Why? _**WHY?!**_

It was stupid of her, she thought. Why couldn't I do one simple thing?

Just once.

Her stupid mouth opened again and she the words were there, forming, but always, always left unsaid. Maybe she just didn't want to say good bye. Maybe she just didn't want to accept the fact that her father—her great and immovable father—was gone.

She didn't want to embrace it.

She sure as hell didn't want to cry for him, but damn it, she wanted to at least say good bye. Say good bye to man she hardly knew, to a man who was strong and wise, cunning and ambitious. But now, she couldn't. Not to a fucking casket.

Not right now.

It was too early for him to die, not that he was young, but it was all too sudden. Or maybe it was that she was just too late. Too late in what exactly, she had no idea.

Right now, all she thought was of how hollow she felt. How empty everything was. She didn't feel sadness. She didn't feel anger.

She didn't feel at all.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Those were the words that kept echoing throughout the funeral. Over and over again, all these people give me their sincerest—she scoffed at the word—apologies. Everyone has greeted her glumly, with frowns and some even patting her on the back for comfort. Like all of them were actually sorry for her.

Like she wanted their fucking pity

No, what she wanted was for her father to get up from that huge ass casket of his and just… be alive. She frowned more at the thought.

As if he were the type to make jokes…

She looked over the gloomy looking ground and thought that even in death her father managed to be so… dull, yet annoying.

The words "why" and "Kagami" brought her back from her thoughts. There, her older brother was, asking her, er, about something? Or about someone? She quirked her eyebrow and mentally scolded herself for not listening.

"What is it?"

"I said why didn't you bring Kagami?" His tone wasn't mocking, like it usually was. It was solemn, like this damn funeral. Come to think of it, everything in this damn _occasion_ is boring.

"He doesn't need to be here." She snapped. What business of his would it be if she didn't bring her boyfriend to this… this… whatever this was. Her brother was about to disagree when she added "He never even met father. I mean, what's the point now that he's..." She cut herself off. Maybe today the words dead and goodbye wouldn't come out for a reason and whatever those reasons were, she was thankful.

* * *

But then her alarms went off and her mind was clouded with thoughts off Kagami. Thank god he existed. He was her comfort. Her blanket and he would understand why the fuck she couldn't just say good bye and be done with it.

Kagami, the saint that he was, was always there. He was always, so freaking understanding, so loving, so gentle and so warm with her that it frightened her that he would leave her. For someone better, hopefully. The man was a giant teddy bear of kindness and awkwardness wrapped in a bubble of sheer stupidity. Of course, she loved the stupid man.

Not that she`d say it aloud, but she was glad that he was a constant in her life. That even if she would do stupid things, terrible things, volatile things, he would still love her.

So when she left the damn funeral and all of their sad smiles and pathetic pats of comfort, she kept thinking that she needed this. She needed to do this.

She had to get away from those teary-eyed geezers that didn't make her feel anything at all. She picked up her phone and thought of the only person who would go with her.

"Hey, Alex-"

She walked straight and never looked back to that pathetic bunch. She had to leave and forget. There was nothing back there for her there.

Kagami would understand. He would love her regardless.

* * *

**Kagami**

He came back from work tired. Dead tired. The expression "long day's work" hadn't meant anything to him until today. All the people he had to carry. All the equipment he had to haul. All in all, the whole day was just so… tiring.

He didn't want to do anything, but get in bed and rest.

But when he opened the door to his apartment and saw a black haired girl scantily dressed and sprawled asleep in his couch, he was confused.

What the hell was she doing here?

Kagami took a whiff of her and realized she reeked of alcohol. How much did she drink? He was very confused, but then he heard someone puking their guts out in his bathroom and instantly became irritated. _Which friend did she bring in now? _He thought. He could handle her drinking, if she didn't suddenly go binging. He could handle her and her friend, he thought as he knocked on the door.

"Is anyone in there?"

He wanted to punch himself. Of course there was someone in there. Whoever she was, she was puking and he could hear it, so that was a no brainer. More puking from the other side.

He knocked again.

_This time, don't say anything dumb_. "Are you alright?" Why don't I just jump off the window right now, Kagami thought to himself. She's puking her guts out. How the fuck could I just ask her that? He chided himself for being dumber than before.

"Can you open the door? I have some Advil or something that could stop the whatever and-" Well, right now he was just rambling. Kagami was just too embarrassed by this point to even stop. Fortunately, the door swung open and he stopped mid rant.

He stared.

What the fuck was Alex Garcia doing in his house?

Anyone who knew Kagami Taiga knew that he was hot-headed.

He got into fights often and he usually used violence to resolve most—if not all—of his problems. Well, he was a man whose hot-headedness usually got the best of him.

Today, he was angry.

Scratch that. He was livid. He couldn't see red, but he was damn fucking close to losing it as he stormed back to his living room.

His footsteps woke up the girl on the couch and she had the audacity to smile at him. Kagami hadn't felt this angry in his life. He was so agitated and so done with this. So fed up and tired of the same bullshit she tried to pull.

"Why is Alex here?"

"What?"

"Why. Is. Alex. Here?" Kagami rarely got angry with her, but this was just too much. She mumbled something and he just had to say something.

"I thought you were done with this? You told me, you told me that this _phase_ or whatever is over and you, you have the fucking balls to drag Alex into this."

How could he have possibly thought that all those nights were all she did was drink and dance was over? He berated himself for being so dumb. He had been at the hospital with here every time she drank _a little too much_. He had been there holding her hands and thought that she'd be dying tonight.

He'd had enough of this.

He glared at her and let out a sigh. More tired than he'd ever been. Was he always this tired? "I can't do this anymore".

* * *

**Back to her**

This time it didn't feel hollow. It didn't feel so empty and it didn't… feel like nothing. This time there was something. Pain. That's all she could feel right now. She could hardly breathe. All she could describe it as was that it felt like the ocean just swallowed her, but it also felt as if she were being burned alive.

It was as if someone slapped her hard and woke her up. Like falling from a cliff with jagged rocks at the bottom or someone strangling you.

It was as if, he was saying goodbye.

She understood it, of course. It was goodbye. She stood up, straight and proud. She had to be, for whole else would have to stand straight for her? Who else was there to be proud of her? She had no one left but herself and the tattered pieces of her pride.

_This is goodbye. _She reminded herself over and over again as she took one step towards the door. It had become her temporary novena while she promised that she wouldn't cry. She just couldn't.

She wanted to look him in the eye and ask him if he really meant it. If he really wanted this and if there was something she could do. But, she couldn't. She was too much of a coward to stare into those eyes and realize that he really did want her gone.

So she opened the door and left.

All the time she thought of how funny it was that she never said goodbye. Sure, she had given her father a eulogy and Kagami had said the words without even saying it, but she never actually literally said goodbye.

Not even once and she thought, _it would probably best if it stayed this way_.

* * *

**Author's note:** This is a one shot and I might probably end up making a whole sequel or prequel depending on the reviews or when I edit this. Sorry if it's so ambiguous and very confusing. It was meant to be mysterious, but I haven't written any stories or anything with dialogue in a long while, so sorry if this was beyond grotesque for your eyes.


	2. Chapter 2: It gets funnier

**It gets funnier**

It was hot. Swelteringly hot that she was sweating hard under her short blond wig. She had no idea how wigs could have been so thick. If she'd known in the first place, she would have tossed aside the wig and the stupid idea of 'going incognito'.

She sighed and kept repeating to herself that whatever she was up to wasn't entirely a stupid idea. 'Keep telling it to yourself and even you might believe it.' Her thoughts rotated on that sheer logic.

But, to be honest, she had no idea how she ended up wearing a thick wig and a pair of sunglasses inside a beat up Toyota that-God forbid-didn't even have an air conditioner. Of course she had to roll down the window and that resulted in her wearing what she dubbed as her 'incognito clothes'.

A sigh escaped her lips again. "Just go outside to the balcony already." She mumbled.

* * *

**Kagami Taiga**

Kagami Taiga had just woken up.

He was surprised to see Alex cuddling up next to him instead of a certain someone he was used to. But, this was Alex after all. He hardly cared that she was there. Well, at least she had the decency to wear some clothes this time.

A frown appeared on his face as he remembered their little breakup last night.

His hand reached for his wallet on the bed table and he flipped it open to find a small card. Maeda Yuu that was her name. It had been a joke every time anyone mentioned her name.

"I'm looking for Yuu." "Haaa? Why are you looking for me?" or "Yuu." "Me?" "Not you. Yuu." He'd never forget those stupid conversations he was subjected to for simply knowing her.

And he'd never forgotten that time he'd almost punched someone for to worst pick up line he'd ever heard. "Hey, you and oh… _Heeeeey Yuu_." His was deeper now. Brows furrowed as he recalled it. 'Well, whatever. She's gone now and yeah.'

Taiga stood up. Slowly, of course, he didn't want to wake the hung over Alex. And he made his way to the balcony.

He was barefoot and shirtless, but he hardly cared.

He stared at the sunrise-the slowly forming colours, the pinkish hue, then orange, then slowly yellow. The horizon was clear, save for some clouds. It was a nice sight and usually he shared it with a certain black haired individual and they enjoyed it in silence.

'Deciding to watch the sunrise alone was a bad decision.' Taiga didn't say it, but he knew that it was true. Just what was he thinking, throwing her out like that. Did she get home alright? Maybe I should call her to make sure she got home safe. Or maybe I could just apologize and say I didn't mean shit last night. Maybe I should just-

No.

She had to stop. Yuu had to learn to do this on her own. She had to do this alone, this time.

She had to.

Taiga had always been there for her. Maybe that's why Yuu thought she could get away with this crap. Well, this shit was over. He looked up again and realized that the sunrise was over. The sun was up and it was time to wake up.

* * *

**Maeda Yuu**

He'd seen her. She had been spotted and she was so screwed.

Those were the first things that came into her head when she saw Taiga on the balcony. He'd been looking at the red washed out car in front of his apartment. I mean, how could he not? It was the shittiest car he'd probably ever seen.

He probably saw it and knew what she was up to.

Inconspicuous, her ass

'This piece of junk attracted more attention and did her more damage that good. I mean, Taiga had seen the crap on wheels is just the fucking worst shit a girl could ask for.' Yuu rambled on and on, while trying to hide her face from the car window. She'd resorted to bowing her head lower and lower as each second passed.

Any second now, Yuu was sure of it that Taiga would just march down from his apartment and confront her on why she was there. What exactly did she have as an excuse?

"_Oh nothing, I just wanted to stalk you for a few hours and watch the sunrise with you like we usually do."_ would probably make her sound like a lunatic and she'd be in the nearest police headquarters after… That or the closest asylum.

Considering she was supposed to be leaving the country in a few hours, both circumstances would be an inconvenience.

Yuu wanted to apologize and pretend to get her stuff to at least see him face to face. She'd smile and they'd have small talk and maybe he'd take her back. Maybe, maybe he would.

If she had the courage to get out of the damned car, then she'd have a small lingering chance. Small was an understatement. Yuu knew that even microscopic was too big of a word to use for it, but she had a change.

She looked at her watch and gave out a strained smile.

"I still have a few more minutes."

* * *

**Kagami Taiga**

He was in shock.

Kagami Taiga was rendered both speechless and immobile. How had this happened? When? "Two weeks ago the Maeda Ichirou passed away. The family wanted his death kept private until yesterday. Yesterday, the Maeda family along with their closest friends pay their respects at his funeral. Mr. Maeda died at the age of…"

Two weeks ago? She'd been- He'd been- What was this crap? What the fuck was this? Just what the fuck was going on?

His eyes were there, stuck on the TV, but he hadn't heard most of the words that came out of the reporter's mouth. Did he just say-

What the fuck did he just say?!

* * *

**Maeda Yuu**

In the end, Maeda Yuu, daughter of the renowned business tycoon and owner of the Maeda & Co. Corporation-Maeda Ichirou, chickened out. It was too fucking stupid to mess up his life again, she reason. What exactly was she fucking doing here anyway? Was this some stupid messed up way of her telling Taiga that she was leaving?

Was this a way out that she wanted? Did she honestly think that after all that shit she could just, just ask him to stop her?

What kind of sick twisted person was she? Deep down, Yuu knew she wanted more than anything for Taiga to come back to her life, tell her everything was going to be okay and to reassure her.

She wanted him to reassure her that she didn't have to go… that she didn't have to leave the goddamned country, for crying out loud.

…

Fuck.

For the first time in her life, she knew exactly what she wanted and this time she knew how to get what she wanted.

But fuck it all, she couldn't do it.

For the first time in her life, Maeda Yuu, decided that she wasn't running away from her problems anymore.

She had to face them.

She had to do this. She had to do this alone. She just had to.

**Or maybe it gets sadder**

* * *

Author's note: Wow. I have absolutely no idea what I typed. Forgive me. It's currently 5AM right now and I just typed and typed without revisions. Again, sorry if there are a lot of mistakes and I'll edit this once I get a little shut eye.

To **Rasielis**, thanks for the awesome comment on the name I was debating on giving her a name or not. Thanks for the review and I hope I actually have written something worth reading.

To all my lovely readers, thanks for reading and if you want to review or PM me or anything, go right ahead. Have an awesome day, guys.

Maybe I'll write Firefighter!Kagami in the next chapters… maybe


	3. Chapter 3: To Clearing the air

**To clearing the air and to a clean slate**

First things first… thank you to both KHRLover1997 and Rasielis for reviewing.

**KHRLover1997: **Do you mean the changing perspectives? And thank you so much. I thought it would be harder for readers to understand and might not appear as different perspectives in the end.

**Rasielis:** Gah, thank you. I do hope I get more readers and people to review and I don't know what to say. I wish my writing style would continue to fulfill that sense of realism.

Next, thanks to all and anyone who reads this story; thanks for the time of the day.

Lastly, I highly recommend that you listen to or listen beforehand to Leaving on a Jetplane by John Denver.

* * *

Kagami Taiga was a lot of things. He was hard headed, reckless, stubborn and sometimes too energetic—if that was even the right word to describe him. But there was something he was sure he was not. He wasn't an inconsiderate asshole.

He wasn't the nicest person you'd ever meet, but hey, he was alright.

He wasn't an overly friendly individual, well, most of the time he wasn't friendly at all, but one thing was for sure. And he'd been so sure of that fact. He'd been so sure that he wasn't an absolute and total jerk.

So, when Kagami Taiga heard the news about Ichirou's death. It stunned him.

Yuu had told him that the man couldn't die. Not even if he tried. He had money rivalling buildings that could crush the smallest chance of having cancer. Even if the old fart tried, Yuu had explained to Kagami that there were people—powerful people—that wouldn't let him die.

In other words, Maeda Ichirou was an immortal.

His death- No, the very idea of him dying was just… ridiculous. It was beyond that. It was almost impossible.

_Almost._

That was enough for him and his started walking towards the door. Walking wasn't the best way to describe it. No. He was walking briskly, in strides that were slower than actual running, but as fast as his feet would let him.

Not that he couldn't run… he was a firefighter for Christ sake. Running out of burning buildings was what kept lots of people he saved alive. More importantly, it was what kept him alive. Right now, of course, was a different matter entirely. If he ran, he'd run and run… and probably do something like injure himself in the process.

So he half-ran, half-walked to the door. His steps were heavy, but at this point he didn't even notice it. He didn't notice that he'd left the TV on and his apartment door open as he walked down stairs.

Before he knew it, the car engine was roaring and its wheels were screeching.

What else was there to think about?

He had to talk to Yuu.

* * *

**Maeda Yuu**

She wanted this to be like the song.

The song, what was it called again? What was it- Oh, yeah, Leaving On A Jetplane. Yes, she wanted the cheesiest and most fluffy romance song to be like their meeting.

Or their… supposed-to-be-meeting

Maeda Yuu was a romantic at heart. She was a cynical bitch, she'd admit that. A heartless woman and an all-around terrible human being-if people still classified her as one… but she was a true romantic

And no matter how many times she wanted to deny it, Yuu knew she liked that song a little too much and a while ago, it would have been so… so perfect for the two of them. I mean, it was dawn and all of that shit was already there. She was literally there with her bag packed, save for the fact that there was no taxi and she wasn't ready to go.

Deep breath.

Yeah, now she was ready. Taxi or no taxi, Yuu really did want to say good bye to Taiga.

But really, Yuu pondered. That song was supposed to be an apt rendition to her leaving. Of course it was. She might not be back again. Screw that line. She wasn't coming back at all, was she?

"Well, let's just hope this plane ride doesn't end up exploding like the one John Denver rode." Yuu humoured herself.

* * *

**Kagami Taiga**

It was an indescribable feeling. What was? Well, being the biggest jerk in North America.

There was regret, there would always be regret. Then there was hatred. Hatred at himself—why was he, Kagami Taiga, such a dick. Like at a time like that, how could he be so-

So-

There was hardly a word for it.

…

Hatred at her—why didn't she tell him, then hatred back at him—because he was acting like an ass, that's why. And this was just so dumb of him. How did he mess this shit up? Oh yeah, all he did was be an uncaring son of a bitch who threw her out of his house and broke up with her. All while Yuu was trying to mourn for her father.

What kind of heartless jerk does that?

* * *

**Maeda Yuu**

When she'd seen her father die—seizures, hospital beds and all—she realized something. Even Satan himself could die. Well, that and that Taiga was better off without her.

Yeah. That was what the universe shouted to her.

Come to think of it, a lot of people were better off without her. Better off without her right now. Because Yuu knew that it wasn't a form of escapism, what she was doing. She knew right now that death, death was an irreversible part of like and she'd have to suck up and burry her hatred for her dear darling father because she'd learned that _he wasn't coming back_.

It was painful to realize it. It was such a pain to hear it over and over in her head, but somehow less of a big 'thing' when she just said it out loud.

She'd have to suck up and grow up to forgive her dad.

To do that, Yuu would have to do her duties as the daughter of Maeda Ichirou. It would be the first time in a really long time that she'd do something for that man. For the past few years, Maeda Yuu had done everything to spite her father, to denounce that she was his daughter and doing things as his daughter made her cringe in agony.

Why the hell did she have to do something for a dead man anyway?

Exhale.

No. Although Yuu hated Ichirou, she respected him. It took her lifetime—mainly her father's—to realize that she respected and looked up to him and as his only daughter there were things that not even the golden boy she called brother could do.

Yes. Her father asked her to do this.

She had to manage their main branch in Japan.

It was in his last will, apparently. Her mother was an inch away from strangling the poor lawyer who read the will. Golden boy was tasked something greater. He was to manage the biggest and main branch. The one located in Manhattan. So both had to move…

Considering her little relocation wasn't as little as her brother's, Yuu was irritated. But, it reminded her of the fact that not even Golden boy could manage two main branches at once.

A smirk was forming on her lips. But someone came into mind.

Would Kagami have congratulated her? Would he-

These dangerous thoughts were exactly why she had to leave now. She checked the time on her phone. _9:01 AM_.

"Are we all set, Miss Maeda?"

Considering that this was the Maeda's private plane, it irked her that the man continued to call her Miss Maeda. On the upside, she guessed that he was the pilot and coming to just greet them made her feel a bit better.

"Yes, I-"

"Hmm, what took you so long Yuu? I mean, I know you're always fashionably late for everything, but why now?" Her brother purposely ignored the pilot, the ass. Well, his fiancé was there so Golden boy must have been peacocking his feathers.

Time to ruffle those a bit

* * *

**Kagami Taiga**

He'd gone to their mansion, er, house, but the damned guards wouldn't let him in. For some reason, he just wanted to talk to Yuu.

If not for getting together, then for clearing the air

I mean, if he left it at that—if he left things like that—how exactly was he supposed to live with himself? He knew he'd hurt her. He acted so harshly and didn't even let her explain.

He needed to talk to her. _They_ needed to talk.

And if not for himself, then for Yuu


End file.
